Bhubaneswar, July 11: The Justice S.K. Mohanty Commission, set up by the state government to look into regional imbalances, has recommended constitution of a Backward Area Development Council, covering all backward and very backward blocks of the state.

It has also suggested formation of a Bordering Area Development Board to intensify developments in the border blocks.

The commission’s report, a copy of which is available with The Telegraph, has, however, been gathering dust since its submission to the government in 2008. The government is yet to table the report in the Assembly along with the action taken report.

The issue has been raised for the last two days in Assembly with the Opposition demanding the report to be tabled. But, the state government has maintained silence on the issue.

The panel found seven districts to be “backward” and eight to be “very backward”. In contrast, six districts were classified under “developed” and nine under the “developing” category.

Two major area development programmes are under implementation in west Odisha and the Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi (KBK) region. The government set up the Western Odisha Development Council to undertake developments in the region. Similarly, a long-term action plan is under implementation for overall development in the KBK districts.

However, the panel found that 34 very backward and backward blocks belonging to the developed and developing districts had not been covered under the two development programmes. “Taking cognisance of the fact, the commission recommends formation of the Backward Area Development Council,” said the report.

“The council should be given the responsibility to plan, implement and ensure development in the backward and very backward blocks and suggest special interventions in specific sectors. The state government should provide funds to the council for the purpose,” it stated.

In view of backwardness in the blocks bordering other states and the feeling of neglect by local people, the commission recommended formation of the Bordering Area Development Board.

It has also suggested that the state government should follow the Chhattisgarh model of integrated development of forest villages by ensuring proper co-ordination between the Vana Samrakshan Samitis and the forest officials. This, the commission felt, was certain to improve condition of the forest villages.

The panel also found grave disparities in the state in the field of industries. According to data, available for the year 2003-04, 15 districts had been identified as industrially backward. Of these, seven were also extremely backward in terms of agriculture — which further compounded their misery. The districts concerned were Malkangiri, Gajpati, Deogarh, Kandhamal, Nowrangpur, Mayurbhanj and Kalahandi, almost all dominated by tribal people.

“The condition of these districts is, therefore, alarming calling for urgent government intervention,” the report observed, adding that these areas were not attracting entrepreneurs due to either non-availability of minerals or supporting infrastructure facilities for the growth of industry.

Incidentally, this is the first commission set up by the state government to study the issue of regional imbalance. Earlier in the 90s, the government had constituted a committee to look into the sensitive issue.